Electric heating unit



Patented Dec. 27., 1927.

UNITED ISTATES PATENT oEFicE.

ALVIN D. KEENE, OF PITTSBURGH, AND KARL EH'RGOTT, OF EAST PITTSBURGH, PENN- SYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & PANY, A CORPORATION OE PENNSYLVANIA.

MANUFACTURING COM- ELECTRIC HEATING UNIT.

applicati@ mea February io, 1925. serial no. 8,194.

Our invention relates to electric heating units and particularly to electric heating units for use in electric ranges.

One object of our invention vis to provide an electricheating unit-that shall have an electric resistor located therein in such manner that a relatively large proportion of the heat emitted by the resistor is transmitted to the working surface of the heating unit.

vAnother object of our invention is to provide -a protecting means for the conductors that connect the resistor to an electriccircuit.

In practicin our invention, we provide a container' mem er of substantially rectangu-v lar form composed of any suitable metal, that has an overhanging portion extending outwardly from one end thereof. The overhanging portion constitutes substantially a trough that serves to conduct awa any liquids flowing from the working sur ace of the container. A resistorvmember of any suitable form is located within the container by insertion into the grooves of a carbonaceous layer or plate that closely interiits with the container and abuts the working surface thereof. Another carbonaceous disc or plate encloses the resistor member within the gi'ooved member .and a disc of heat-insulating material encloses the carbcnaceous. d1sc. In the single sheet of drawings, Figure 1 is a Ytop plan view of an electric heating unit embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line II-II of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of a heatin vunit embodied in Fig.,1; and

ig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line IV--IV of Fig. 3.

An electric heater indicatedgenerally by the numeral 11, comprises a container member 12 having an outwardlyexteiiding overhanging portion 13 that'substantially constitutes a trough.' The overhanging portion 13 is located adjacent to they working surface of the heater 11 and serves to collect and conduct away any liquids that may flow from the` surface of the heater. The overhanging .member has downwardly extending portions 14 that are so located that the liquids col- 1-ected'loyv the overlianging, member 13 are conducted below the'A heater unit and away therefrom in order. to protect the leads 15 and 16 connected to a resistor member 17.

-otheiL material of The resistor member 17 is completely covered by an initially moistened, comminuted, refractory, electric-insulating material 18, such as alundum, and is located in grooves 19 in a plate or layer of carbonaceous or any high heat conductivity, suchas carborundum, that is located in heat exchanging relationv with the working or upper surface 21 of the container 12 and closely interiits therewith'. Another layer 22, also of carbonaceous or other material of h igh heatconductivity, is located in abut-v ting relation to the projections 23 of the circuit, (notv shown), and are so located that the overhanging member 13 fully protects them from any fluids flowing from the container 12. A refractory `heat-insulating plate 24, which maybe made of asbestos, interts with tion with the plate or layer 22 and serves to prevent any waste of the heat emitted downwardly by the resistor 17.

A heating unit constructed las hereinbeheating articles Supportedfthereby. In'heating units of'ordinary construction, .no means is provided for utilizing the` heat/emitted downwardly or in a direction away from the working surface and the structure. herein# before described provides in a practical way a heat conducting path therefor. A heater is often used to yheat varticles that contain liquids or to cook articles requiring grease, that heretofore have occasioned trouble by fouling the conducting leads connecting the resistor member tothe electric'circiiit and the structure hereinbefore described provides a simple and ractical method of overcoming this diic ty. A

20, that portion of the heat emit-v the container 12 in abutting rela-' the working surfore described provides a 'highlyeicient means for conducting the heat' from are-v sistor to a working surface that is used for l This case is closely related to a companion application Serial No. 5047, filed Jan. 27, 1925, and assigned to .the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company.,

Various modifications and -chan es may be made without departing from t e spirit and scope of the invention and we desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be. placed thereon as are imposed by the prior :art or are set forth in the appended claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. An electric heater comprising a. metal container, a, resistor-positioning member having a plurality of grooves located in said container, a resistor member, having a. coating of electric-insulating material, located in said grooves, a member of heat-conducting materiall adapted to secure said-resistor member therein, and a heat-insulating memlgr located adjacent to said securing memr. 2. An electric heater comprising a metal container, a resistor-positioning member having a'plurality of grooves located in said container, a resistor member, having a coat.

1n of comminuted, initiallyT moistened,elec tric-insulating material, coated grooves, a layer of heat-conducting material adapted to secure said resistor member therein, and a heateinsulating member located adjacent to said securing member.

3. An electric heater comprising a metal container, a resistor-positioning member of carbonaceous material, having a plurality of grooves, located in said container, a resistor member having a coating of electric-insulating material located in said grooves, a mem ber of carbonaceous material adapted to secure said resistor member therein, and a heat-insulating member located adjacent to said securing member.

4. An electric heater comprising a container and an electric resistor member 1ocated therein having a plurality of leads extendin laterally outwardly from said con-- taner eyond one edge thereof for connecting said resistor member to an electric c1rin said cuit, said container having an overhanging grooved portion located above said leads.

5. An electric heater comprising a con tainer and an electric resistor member located therein havin-g a plurality of leads extending outwardly from said container beyond a lateral edge thereof for connecting said resistor member .to an electric circuit, y

said container having an overhanging ved portion located only above said eads and ada ted to collect and conduct away liquids owing from the surface of said container. Y

6. An electric heater comprising atontainer adapted on one surface thereof to support articles to be heated, an electric resistor located therein, said resistor being substantially enclosed by refractory material of relatively high heat conductivity and having a plurality'of conducting leads extending outwardly from said container beyond a lateral edge 'thereof for connecting said resistor to an electric circuit, and an 'overhangin member inteo'ral with said container and ocated only above said conductin leads.

An electric heater comprising a container adapted on one surface thereof to support articles to be heated, an electric resistor located therein being substantially enclosed by refractory material of relatively high heat conductivity located in heat-exchanging relation with said surface, said resistor having a plurality of conducting leads extending laterally outwardly from said container beyond one edge thereof for connecting said resistor to an electric circuit, and an overhanging member integral with said container located above said conducting leads, and adapted to collect'and conduct away liquids flowing from the surface of said container.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our naines this 9th day of February, 1925.

ALVIN D. KEENE. KARL EHRGOTT. 

